A/HRC/13/59 enfranchizing the Afro-Ecuadorian population, but the objective of full enjoyment of all rights on an equal basis with those of the majority Ecuadorian culture is yet to be realized. 6. Today, people of African descent are found all over Ecuador, but are more numerous in certain regions. In the province of Esmeraldas, in the north-west of the country, 39.9 per cent of the population is composed of people of African descent. The national census of 2001 estimated the Afro-Ecuadorian population at 4.97 per cent of the national population and, five years later, a survey on living conditions in Ecuador (Encuestas de Condiciones de Vida en el Ecuador) fixed their number at 5.7 per cent of the population. This survey found that people of African descent enjoy standards of living below the national average and endure multiple challenges in the areas of access to housing, education, health and other fundamental services. The average monthly household income in Ecuador, for example, is about US$ 522, while for an Afro-Ecuadorian household it is $400. The average monthly personal income for Afro-Ecuadorians is $210.80, while for the white population it is $316.60 and the national average is $268. Moreover, according to the survey, while 12.9 per cent of Ecuadorians live below the extreme poverty line, the figure stands at 13.7 per cent for Afro-Ecuadorians. 7. In the area of education, attendance rates show that Afro-Ecuadorians have, on average, fewer years of study than whites. According to the 2006 survey, 12.63 per cent of Afro-Ecuadorians are illiterate, as compared to 9.13 per cent of the rest of the population. People of African descent in Ecuador begin with lower attendance and completion levels in primary education and progressively and exponentially fall behind the levels of the majority ethnic group throughout secondary education until they are even further underrepresented at the level of tertiary education. The attendance rate for secondary education for AfroEcuadorians is 38.8 per cent, whereas for the rest of the population it is 55.3 per cent. Only 8 per cent of Afro-Ecuadorians attend universities, whereas in the wider population it is 18 per cent. 8. The inequality endured by Afro-Ecuadorians is also apparent in the area of work. They are often underpaid in comparison with the majority of the population and are found employed as unskilled labour and with precarious job security. The nature of the work that Afro-Ecuadorians are engaged in is closely related to their lower average levels of education and so they are less represented in professional employment. This situation is even more dramatic in the case of Afro-Ecuadorian women, who suffer gender discrimination as well, and whose unemployment rate is 17.5 per cent. 9. As regards the area of health, Afro-Ecuadorians also experience difficulties in accessing the health-care system. The most common diseases among this population are related to unsanitary living conditions, often characterized by high levels of environmental contamination, poor access to clean water and badly managed disposal of waste materials. 10. The poverty that is often characteristic of the living conditions of people of African descent in Ecuador is closely related to several factors; from the deep historical roots of marginalization during the construction of the nation to the failure of the State to adequately implement policies for the purpose of integrating this sector of the population. Moreover, their condition is aggravated by the racial discrimination and the structural racism to which they are exposed. 11. The new Constitution that was adopted in 2008 contains several provisions designed to advance the situation of people of African descent and, once the necessary enacting legislation is passed, offers a real opportunity to redress the historic and structural discrimination long endured by people of African descent in Ecuador. GE.10-10207 5